Driving connection



H. J HIL'MES DRIVING CONNECTION Filed March 12, 1924 flew/0 y Jwilme" as arrangement which but slightly varies Nov. 4, 1924.

' or am'monr, ILLINOIS.

DRIVING CONNECTION.

Application filed Hatch 12, 1924. Serial No. 698,716.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. Hnnms, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Altamont, in the county of Efiingham and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Connections, of which the following is a specification. My present invention relates generally to driving connections and more particularly to driving connections between the propeller shaft and diiferential of automobiles, my object being the provision of a driving connection which will eliminate the common troubles at this point of automobile driving gear with respect to the stripping of the differential ring gear.

It is a. well known fact that considerable dificulty has been encountered in the driving r of automobiles and other motor cars in the particular place above specified which is subjected to great strain in use. I In the ordinary construction the ring gear of the difierential is beveled and engaged by a 95 bevel gear at the rear of the propeller shaft, this arrangement obviously bringing about great strain upon the engaging teeth particularly when the bearings of both the propeller shaft and those of the difierential an within the difierential housing have become slightly worn, permitting the ring gear to yie d with respect to the beveled driving pinion of the propeller shaft. My invention seeks to avoid these objections by a s' ilo ordinary construction without necessitating an rearrangement of the parts and which in use will avoid the great strain upon the thrust rings which the ordinary conan struction proposes.

Inthe 2. w. drawing which illustrates my present invention and forms a part of this ification Bi 1* 1 is a sectionalb'iew through a differential she my improved connections in top plan, and

F -s-= 2 is a similar view, my improved connections being shown in section.

Referring now to these- 1.11: I have indicated the 'erential generally at 10 and the MI shaft at 11, the diorential ring gear being seen at 12 and the propeller shaft at 13. In the ordinary construction the rear end of the propeller shaft 13 has a bevel driving pinion engaging bevel teeth upon one side of the ring gear 12 and in my presentconstruction this general arrangement isretained, the ring gear 12 having bevel teeth 14 and 15 at opposite sides thereof for engagement respectively by a beveled pinion 16 atthe rear end of the propeller shaft 13 and a beveled pinion 17, the beveled pinions 16 and 17 being formed in connection with intcrmeshing spur gears 18 and 19.

The teeth 14 and 15 of the ring gear 12 are preferably staggered as shown and the driving piuions 16 and 17 which according to my invention thus engage opposite faces of the ring gear are of course disposed so as to properly cooperate with the staggered teeth 14 and 15 of the ring gear, these pinions 16 and 17 being preferably formed integral with the spur gears 18 and 19. Pinion 17 and spur gear 19 are disposed upon a short shaft 20 suitably mounted in bearings within the difierential case parallel to the rear portion of the propeller shaft 13 which is disposed within the case and it is obvious from this arrangement that I avoid the imposition of the severe strains upon the thrust bearings of the difierential which are incident to the ordinary construction and I eliminate the danger of stripping of the teeth of the ring gear inasmuch as the latter is confined between driving pinions and is in this way prevented from yielding with respect to either thereof.

My invention presents a simple solution of the problem and is well adapted to efiectively and elliciently serve the intended functions without disturbing the usual relation of the parts and without adding materially to the cost thereof.

A driving gear of the character descri i i a difierential ring gear having teeth at its opposite sides, a propeller shaft, a driving pinion on said shaft engaging the teeth at one side of the ring a second pinion engaging the teeth at the opposite side ofthe ring intermeshing spur gears each formed integral with one of said gt 1 7 I t v 1,514,522

pinions, a shaft on which the second pinion said teeth at opposite sides of the ring gear and its integral gear are mounted in arbeing staggered with respect to one another allel axial relation to the propeller shaft and the said pinions being relatively ar- 10 pinion and its gear, and hearings in which ranged to coact with the staggered relation 5 the said shafts are journaled beyond the of the ring gear teeth as described.

ends of the pinions and gears and between which bearings the latter are confined, the HENRY JOSEPH HILMES; 

